Area Wrestlers Help South Dakota Shine

July 03, 2007

An 18-and-under Junior Olympic volleyball team has achieved a first in the state. Club SoDa has become the first club team in the state to qualify for the USA Volleyball Association national tournament, according to club organizers. The team includes Northern State recruit Mandy Lee of Arlington and Amy Clemenson of Northwestern. The tourney runs from today through Friday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. There are 124 teams playing in three divisions. Club SoDa will compete in the 48-team American Division with pool play games today and Wednesday. Today's games are against St. Louis CYC White and Gold Cal Carissa of Lincoln, Calif., and Wednesday's games are against Dunes Black of Michigan City, Mich.; Wisconsin Select; and Impact VBC Blue of Old Hickory, Tenn. Football: New USF stadium The $8.5-million Sanford Health Sports Complex on Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls is scheduled to host its first event on Sept. 1. The University of Sioux Falls football team will open its season at 1 p.m. against Dana College at Bob Young Field at the USF complex. Last season, Milbank native and USF coach Kalen DeBoer led the Cougars to the national NAIA title. The football stadium for the 1,700-student school will seat about 3,200. Streaking Storm: The Sioux Falls Storm tied a professional sports record by winning its 33rd straight indoor football game Saturday when the Storm crushed the Colorado Ice 48-3. The Storm will try to break the record, set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against Rock River at the Sioux Falls Arena. Aberdeen Central graduate Cory Johnsen-Lehr is a member of the two-time defending United Indoor Football league champion Storm. Vikings' tickets: Single-game tickets and two-game mini-packs for 2007 Vikings home games will go on sale at 8 a.m. July 9 in person at the Metrodome Gate B ticket booth. At 9 a.m., tickets will also be available at all Midwest Ticketmaster locations at (651) 989-5151 or www.ticket master.com. Single-game ticket prices range from $46-$124. If available, tickets for the Vikings games with Green Bay and Chicago will only be sold in the following two-game mini-packs (ranging from $92 - $248 per package): Green Bay (Sept. 30) and St. Louis (Aug. 10); and Chicago (Dec. 17) and Dallas (Aug. 30). Season tickets are available now for the 2007 season, starting under $200, at (612) 33-VIKES. The Vikings play their first home game against St. Louis at 7 p.m. Aug. 10 and their other home exhibition game is at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 against Dallas. Regular-season home games are against Atlanta (noon Sept. 9), Green Bay (noon Sept. 30); Philadelphia (noon Oct. 28); San Diego (noon Nov. 4); Oakland (noon Nov. 18); Detroit (noon Dec. 2); Chicago (7:30 p.m. Dec. 17); and Washington (noon Dec. 23). Running: Aberdeen event Thursday The Aberdeen Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department's Melgaard Park Two-Mile Fun Run is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Melgaard Park. Registration is at 7 p.m.; cost is $3 per person or $5 per family. Times will be kept but the event will be non-competitive in nature. Drawings will be made for prizes. Details: (605) 626-7015. Lowery invitation: Pierre native Brad Lowery will be among the invited field that will compete in an exhibition Elite Men's Mile on Friday. The afternoon race is a special feature of the 2007 USA Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which are being held in Lisle, Ill. Lowery, who has a best in the mile of 4:01.67, is a member of Team USA Minnesota. The team works to develop Olympians. Softball: N.D. considers sport The North Dakota High School Activities Association is considering sanctioning girls' fast pitch softball in the spring of 2009. At least 12 teams would have to be fielded in order for the sport to be sanctioned. Like South Dakota, club teams have operated in recent years in North Dakota. USD coach resigned: Kim Zarling, who has served as the head softball coach at the University of South Dakota for the past 12 years, has resigned to accept the head coaching job at Beloit (Wis.) College. USD will begin an immediate search for a new head softball coach. Zarling leaves USD as the career wins leader with an overall 325-403 mark. Wrestling: SDSU signs Mitchell grad Stratton Havlik of Mitchell will wrestle for South Dakota State this fall. He is a five-time state place-winner and won the 152-pound division last winter. Havlik was 155-38 during his career at Mitchell. His dad, Bryce Havlik, is a former SDSU wrestler.